


The Art of Moving On

by threedices



Series: Naruto rare pair bingo [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Families of Choice, Fluff and Angst, Multi, No Uchiha Massacre, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 20:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threedices/pseuds/threedices
Summary: Grief is only as strong as you let it become.Mikoto goes to collect Sasuke and Naruto from the academy on the day of their graduation and thinks about family.





	The Art of Moving On

**Author's Note:**

> Naruto Rarepair Bingo square: Friendship/Family.

It was going to be the anniversary soon.

Mikoto wondered if she should cook a family dinner and invite Minato, or plan an outing to an Akimichi restaurant.

Ten years was a long time.

Fugaku’s death was a quiet burn, instead of a raging fire in terms of sorrow, these days.

She went grocery shopping, made small talk with her clan members on the street and did not object when Izumi offered cheerfully to carry her purchases back for her.

“You still have the key, Izumi-chan?”

“Yes, of course. If I ever want to drag Itachi-kun off on an adventure, I need it.” 

Then Izumi was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Mikoto chuckled. She was glad Izumi was still a friend to Itachi, even after they had broken up.

Izumi was in ANBU now, though of course no one was not supposed to know.  
Izumi had been terribly proud, though, and told basically the whole clan.

It had sparked a debate between Mikoto and Itachi, because Sasuke only saw Izumi’s pride and not the sacrifices she had to make.

He was young, he would learn, but Itachi had been scared.

The war still sat in his bones and once again, Mikoto wondered if they should have pushed him less.  
Fugaku had only wanted to caution him, show him the dangers of the battlefield, but it backfired badly and left Itachi traumatized.

After Fugaku’s death, Itachi had felt responsible for everything, even the clan’s honour, though Mikoto had told him she could handle it.

Itachi might appear stoic to others, gentle to his family, but he was headstrong, and his will to sacrifice himself was stronger than his reason.

Coming to stand at the academy, Mikoto sighed.

She would have to talk with him, or maybe with Shisui, who had a better influence on Itachi.

Maybe she would talk to Minato as well, what she could do, to handle Itachi better.

She was unfortunately just as stubborn as as Itachi and Minato was always the milder temperament between them.  
Kushina would surely have overpowered any objections Itachi had brought forth, but Kushina was gone.

That was still a sharp pain in Mikoto’s chest, right beside the dull ache of Fugaku’s loss.  
She was better now, just like Minato.

Mikoto smiled. 

The boys came stormed out of the academy, to hug her and tangle their hands in her skirts.

“I did it, I did it. Look, I’m a ninja, now, Aunt Mikoto!” Naruto crowed.

She tousled his sun-kissed hair and laughed. “I see it.” 

Sasuke was more quiet, but no less proud. He hesitated a bit, before asking, “do you think Father would be proud?” 

“Of course, I know he would be.” She took them home, planning to make a reservation for all four of them at an Akimichi restaurant, and if her smile was a little bitter-sweet, the boys didn’t notice.


End file.
